


Phoenix

by Jackidy



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Final Haikyuu Quest, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-04-25 11:17:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4958452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jackidy/pseuds/Jackidy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night of his initiation into the Fukurodani demon hunters, Akaashi Keiji encountered the strangest owl demon he’s ever had the pleasure of meeting. 6 years later he’s sent to hunt down a grand demon king with the possibility of meeting the owl once more for what could be their last meeting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First multi chapter haikyuu fic, the bokuaka is slow burning i will say that much whilst the sarukui/konoha is established and happened within the 6 years. hope you all enjoy and, yes, the main from FHQ qill make an appearance soon!! Hope to have the next chapter out shortly.
> 
>  
> 
> [ also available here on tumblr](http://jackidy.tumblr.com/post/130760704362/phoenix)

The silence of the forest is shattered as the horse gallops through, the cloaked rider urging the mare on faster as the words his partner had told him ran through his mind over and over again. Run until you’re sure you’re not being followed and then continue to do so, he hadn’t quite grasped what Sarukui had meant by that but he’d listened anyway, head turning and scanning the skies for the owl demon only to find them clear.

Akaashi knows he’s taking a risk by slowly his horse down, a full gallop slowing down to a near stop in order to let the exhausted creature try to regain at least some of its strength should she need to take off again. The break was welcomed, no matter how briefly it may ultimately be, the trainee hunter whispering words of comfort to his dark mare in an attempt to soothe her as she became restless. 

Though he couldn’t blame her for being unsettled considering how his initiation had gone, having finally completed his training, he was supposed to join the ranks of the Fukurodani demon hunters but instead found himself somewhere in the forest having been chased by one or more of the unexpected demons that had interrupted the ceremony. 

There was only supposed to be one, one demon that he was to kill but instead of becoming a fully fledges hunter, he was ordered to run and was now being chased down by at least one of them, some demon in the shape of a giant owl that he couldn’t even see. 

His situation was less than ideal but what else was he supposed to do?

Silence seems to be something foreign to the trees tonight as a monstrous roar tears through it, the hair on Akaashi’s neck standing on end. Shit. He’d been found. Digging his heels into the horse’s side, he silently apologises as she breaks into a gallop once more, making her stress clear to the rider. He can hear the beast, somewhere behind him, or was it to the left of him? Akaashi isn’t sure but it begs one question.

How do you defend yourself against something you can’t see?

Instincts; Konoha had drilled that in from the get go, when he’d first started training and before the blonde mage had even become a fully-fledged hunter himself. He focuses and listens, the pounding hooves dimming down to a dull throb in the background, the beating of wings growing clearer and nearer. Why hadn’t he thought to rely on them sooner, he may have not completed the ritual yet but what he lack in vision he more than made up for in hearing when he focused enough. 

Pulling on the reigns, his mare swerves right as the demon dives for him, a flash of white and black before the screech is there again, no doubt annoyed by his failure, a swell of confidence and cockiness taking over the would be hunter and that’s all it takes to be caught by the next dive. 

It clips him more than anything, taking only a hit to the side as the great owl burst through the trees, talon digging into his right shoulder and throwing the teenager off the startled mare and into the nearby treeline, his back connecting with some old oak and a bark of pain slipping from his lips accompanied by a hiss as his attempts to push himself only end with pain searing through his bleeding shoulder. 

“It’s a shame we ruined your ceremony, you were tricky to follow, it would have been lovely to see how you fought.” It would take a fool to not know the man before him and the owl that had pursued him, the demon still managed to look like one, hair like a horned owl and a feathered collar, Akaashi wondering if he’s supposed to be intimidated by the demon as he’s far less that in this form. 

He looks comical if anything. 

“Remove your helmet; I want to see the face of the next hunter who failed to stop me.”

Akaashi waits for a moment before complying, removing it awkwardly with his left hand and dropping it to the floor, letting it roll away to a spot by his knees. If the demon was going to kill him like he planned to, he had no means of defending himself, with little to no armour and nothing but a broken bow and a few arrows that hadn’t managed to come loose when he was thrown from his mare, it would be quicker and easier to just let him do it.

Only he doesn’t.

Caught in the glare of the moonlight, he looks up at the demon ready to meet his fate only to find that faux intimidation replaced by something else, something more human, something more…flustered. “Shit.” The owl demon whines, running a hand through his hair and pulling on it as he began to pace, as if forgetting the scenario they had been in just moments before, Akaashi nothing short of confused. 

Had he not just been sentenced to death? By no means ungrateful for the demon’s sudden bemusement over his fate, he’d rather be killed or left be so that he could return to his fellow Fukurodanis, have his shoulder treated, and finish his ceremony before praying that he never encounter the other again.

Sighing, the would be hunter slowly pushes himself up one armed, returning to his feet with a pained hiss as he moves his shoulder by accident, unknowingly snapping the demon out of his reverie, bringing his attention back to the human. “It’s a little rude to try and walk away when I’m plotting your demise.” If it wasn’t for the pain shooting down his arm and across his shoulder and chest in waves from his wound, Akaashi would laugh. Were all demons this ridiculous or had he just been lucky this time?

“Oh, is that what you were doing? I’m sorry, I’ll just sit back down shall and wonder what will happen first, you stopping or me dying of old age.” He’d been spending too much time around Konoha, it’s the only explanation for his unusually sass ridden remark, an annoyed look gracing Akaashi’s features. “But by all means, take your time, it’s not like I’m bleeding or anything.”

“I’m sorry.”

Akaashi pauses, giving the owl demon a look that only mirrored how confused he was as the other seemed to realise what he had said, the gears in his head as he thought over just what to say having just apologised for injuring the would be hunter despite his threat some 20 minutes ago. What kind of demon was this? Were they all like this? If so he hardly saw the need for his future profession, bar the wound in his shoulder, the being was otherwise harmless. 

“I’m….I’m sorry that you will not meet your end at my hands today, next time…yeah, next time you will meet your doom.” Watching as the demon poses, an attempt to regain the imposing and intimidating persona from before that worked not as well after the previous bumbling performance, more so when accompanied by the small pep talk of telling his self he’d done a good job. As an oddly endearing grin split the demons lips, he regained the owl form that had previously hunted the hunter for at least 3 hours before taking off into the night once more. 

“What just…happened?”

Head brimming with questions he doubted the elders would even know the answers to, Akaashi sighs once more, heading unsteadily back up onto the road and in search of his horse. He’d need healing and to tell the elders of this even if they couldn’t share any light on why the Owl demon had acted so strangely as soon as he’d removed his helmet.

\----------------------------

Grunting from the pain in his shoulder as he pushed up with his right arm, Akaashi wonders why, after years, his arm would still hold trouble for him in the form of a little pain and a touch of stiffness, both accompanied by a scar that seemed like it would never fade but then the scars inflicted by demons rarely healed so he supposes he must be grateful. Thoughts of that demon, which he later learnt to be named Bokuto, still trouble him despite their little and few in between meetings which always ended in similar ways: The meet, they fight, they both get too into it and then it’s over with little injuries between them.

It never felt like fighting, more like sparring. 

Running a hand through his hair, Akaashi sighs, eyes drifting to the open window before flicking to the door as it creaks open, not surprised to find either Sarukui or Konoha there but somewhat to find them visiting together, something that usually only meant one thing, more so if the look on Konoha’s face was anything to go by. 

“What is it?”

“The three of us have been sent to go get a bounty, apparently a princess from the Karasuno kingdom was stolen.” Sarukui replies, as cheerful as ever but innocent, Akaashi choosing to ignore the way that Konoha was starting to resemble a predator that had seen his pray. There was something he wasn’t being told about this, something the grinning mage was no doubt going to enjoy thoroughly which could only mean one thing.

“It involves the owl demon, doesn’t it?” 

He gets his answer in the way Konoha’s eyes simply gleam, waiting for the usual teasing that came with it only for Sarukui to cut him off. “Maybe, we’re not sure yet. We’ve had two confirms of a demon named Kuroo and one ‘grand demon king’ Oikawa,” Akaashi raises a brow at the title but refrains from questioning it; it wasn’t uncommon for new to power demons giving themselves grand titles. “And where ever Kuroo is, Bokuto isn’t usually far behind.”

“And who better to lure him out than his favourite little archer?” 

He ignores Konoha, a usual tactic when the blonde attempted to wind him up, keeping his attention on Sarukui instead. “When do we leave?” Akaashi anticipates the eager comment from the mage only to not get one, though that mischievous spark is back in the mage’s eye, an equally devious look on Sarukui’s face that would look out of place to anyone else who hadn’t been on enough missions with him to know otherwise. 

“As soon as you’re up and ready, Onaga and Komi helped with the supplies before we came to get you.” 

“Since not all of us can get away with sleeping in this late, Keiji~”

Seeming to sense his want to throw something at him, Konoha leaves the room laughing, pulling Sarukui along with him, the young archer left to himself and his thoughts as he finally got up, circling his shoulder and stretching in and attempt to remove the stiffness that had overcome it in his sleep. A mission with Konoha and Sarukui? That promised to be interesting, a faint smile coming to Akaashi’s lips, finger tips brushing against the fabric of his jerkin before starting to undress.

Catching his reflection in the mirror, his eyes focus on the scarring on his shoulder and his smile sharpening into a smirk, wondering if the mark he’d left on the other had left a similar ugly mess.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introduction of some of our demons, the Sarukui/Konoha (established) and a small dash of foreshadowing

“Someone looks tense.” 

Kuroo frowns a little when the other doesn’t jump, a sign of only one thing and it was starting to worry the demon that Bokuto had been so troubled since aligning himself with their cause. Invitations to explore the citadel are met with bae minimum enthusiasm and those attempts to get him to explore the grounds around the castle are met with just silence before a sigh, a clear sign as ever of a deep dejected mode. 

It was almost uncomfortable to see the owl like this, the dark haired demon moving to sit next to the other at the window, joining him in looking out into their heavily wooded surroundings. “You know, they might not come.” His only response is Bokuto flicking his eyes to him before back outside and sighing again.

“You know they will, you know that he’ll be with them too.”

So that’s what had brought his mood about, he had guessed that Akaashi had been the cause of it all but considering his reluctance to join Oikawa, Kuroo couldn’t be too sure on it just being down to the hunter alone. Arguments are best avoided, more so with how irritable Bokuto often became when he’d been in one of these moods for too long and he’d already been in this one for near 2 months. 

“Well, if he is you’ll have one thing to look forward to.”

“Oh? What’s that?” His tone may have been sharp but his eyes told a different story, mild annoyance mixed with curiosity that Kuroo hoped meant his friend would soon be leaving his mood and be more loud and energetic as opposed to quiet and withdrawn. 

“Oikawa’s face when he realises there’s a mortal prettier than him.” Kuroo smirks teasingly and there it is, Bokuto trying to hold back a laugh before he can’t hold it in any longer, his weird squawk of a laugh bursting from his lips and filling the previously silent room. Well that certainly picked is spirits back up, something that even their new found King would agree was a good thing, even if he’d later take back those words once the pair started to wreak havoc within his lair. 

As the laughter slowly dies, the silence becomes more comfortable, less of a choke hold and more welcoming than ever, Kuroo watching as Bokuto became steadily more relaxed and the smile on his lips fails to falter. He’s not sure how long they sit there before the Owl demon speaks up, nails slowly scratching nails into the stone window ledge, a somewhat hesitant look on his face as if he’s scared of the reaction his words will bring. 

“Aren’t you worried about Kenma?” 

Wasn’t that the question of the century and something that Kuroo had argued with himself over and over again trying to find the appropriate answer to all those who asked. To Oikawa he’d said no, dismissed any feelings of attachment to the small white mage and stated that he’d do what he had to do should it come to it should they meet in battle but could he even say the same thing to Bokuto? Probably not, he may be oblivious but he was by no means an idiot. 

“He can look after himself, Bo.”

“That isn’t what I asked, Tetsu.” 

With a click of his tongue, Kuroo sighs, running a hand through his hair, an unsure look on his usually confident face. There was no denying he was worried for his childhood friend, it was true he could look after himself now but it didn’t do much to lessen his worry if he was coming here, more so if Bokuto was right about the Fukurodani.

There was something off about them, the Owls, something he couldn’t place and the questions placed to Bokuto often came back with answers about Akaashi which only sought to frustrate him or he seemed just as clueless as he did, his act too sincere for Kuroo to believe it to be a lie. He supposed it said a lot in his faith in the Fukurodani If he was more worried about Kenma in relevance to them than to confronting Oikawa despite the possibility their paths won’t cross. 

“Then yeah, I’m worried.” Just not for the reasons you think I am, he adds on mentally, not wishing to divulge the source of his worry to his friend just yet. He had, after all, just picked his mood back up, it wouldn’t be wise to destroy it all over again. 

\---

Had they known of how busy the tavern had been inside then perhaps the trio would have travelled a little further along the road and found another to stay in for the night or, rather, found a clearing in the woods to set up camp, but, then again, busy places had their advantages if you knew what to listen for and where better than a pub on the edge of a busy town.

Travellers seemed to gravitate towards the place, travellers, countrymen and those who did business that even those who dealt with demons didn’t wish to bear thinking about; someone would mention something eventually with any luck and give them an idea of their intended target. Though that may be wishful thinking by this point, the clock growing ever closer to the witching hour and all talk sticking only to conversations of crop growth, supposed sightings of mythical beasts and an old, cat like man who had come by and had asked if they were interested in buying a dragon liver. 

“Well this proved pointless; feel free to stick down here, I’m going to bed.” The dark haired pair watches as Konoha stands after a wide yawn, shimmying past Sarukui, offering the warrior a look that begged for him to follow only to be denied. It wouldn’t be long until they followed themselves, Konoha had a point, this had been pointless and the idea of sleep was becoming more and more of a sirens song to them. 

As voices erupt towards the centre of the room, Akaashi sighs, a drunken brawl to finish the night, nothing new there, Sarukui appearing to have the same feeling as he finished off the last of his tankard, the pair debating if moving now would be best or to wait until it had died down. It was a same Konoha was missing this, it wasn’t unknown for him to take joy in watching people brawl or to join in, more so when accompanied with Komi. 

“Let go of me! Are you deaf or something?!” 

The pair freeze at the voice, Konoha was supposed to be upstairs, sleeping or attempting to in the very least, what was he doing in the beginnings of a brawl unless…Letting out a curse, Sarukui is the first to his feet, Akaashi following soon after, fingers curling into the back of the others jerkin in a bid to keep up with the shorter man as his pace quickened, brought on by a scream of pain.

With a final push they’re in the middle, clear view of what is happening and its with relief they find the scream to have not come from their companion, the blonde stood over the man that had grabbed him, sparks dancing around the arm that had been grabbed. He’d used magic and that never went down too well with most people, even without him having attacked someone. 

It starts as a whisper but grows steadily louder into a dull thrum, Konoha seeming to grow more agitated, like a trapped animal with the word as his cage, the mage needing to be calmed down before he lashed out again but all attempts to reach him proved futile as the crowd seemed to gather more closely around him, their spot at the front quickly taken from them in the commotion.

“Go back to the devil you lie with, boy, your kind aint welcome here.” The man he struck sneers, the air looking to come to blows again in a mixture of anger and panic only for Sarukui to suddenly move forward, Akaashi losing his grip on the other but following all the same in the pathway left in the crowd. In any other situation, the archer knew the other would handle this as calmly and civilly as possible but now, now even Akaashi wasn’t sure. Sarukui’s temper was unpredictable, mostly unknown and devastating to be on the receiving end of. 

“His kind? What kind would that be I wonder, Mages or Fukurodani?” There’s a sharpness to his voice that doesn’t match his ever smiling face, Konoha’s hand curling into the back of the other’s dark jerkin like Akaashi’s had moments before, though if it was to calm down Sarukui or himself, Akaashi couldn’t be sure as the blonde’s magic slowly dissipated into nothing. 

Stepping up to join the pair, Konoha now pretty much shielded from the challenging man, Akaashi speaks slowly in a bid to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand, the man before them almost instantly backing down and becoming more submissive as whispered rumours about their organisation, mostly false, spread through the crowd. “We would appreciate it if you would move out of the way, sir. We’ve been travelling all day and our friend is tired. We don’t want to cause more of a scene than we have done already so, please, let us pass.”

A minute passes, then two, Akaashi staring the man down until he had the decency to let them pass, allowing the shorter pair to go first before following behind, pausing by the man and smiling faintly. “You know, those who spout hatred in the masses are more likely to attract demons than those who can do magic.” Taking his leave then, he stops to apologise to the worried looking owner and the room begins to pick up noise again, taking his time in returning to their room knowing the pair would want some time alone. 

\---

He’s still clutching somewhat hopelessly to Sarukui’s clothes even after they return to their room, neither paying much heed to the fact their trio had dropped a member somewhere near the stairs, Konoha lad to the nearest bed and made to sit, the blonde perched on the edge whilst the other crouched in front of him, arms crossed over the mage’s knees and his chin resting atop his arms. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“What’s there to talk about, I bumped into a man, things got tense, he grabbed my arm and I electrocuted him.” He knows that’s not what Sarukui means but he doesn’t know how to explain what’s bothering him otherwise without it coming out strangled. Explaining that it still bothers him that magic users are put on the same level as demons unless they’re a white mage, he only use for the seeming to be someone who can do magic is only useful when they are deft with healing magic. 

“You know that’s not what I mean.” Konoha finds it almost funny how he manages to sound like he’s not annoyed by the answer and more like aspirated mother, used to the same old answer and knowing that he won’t get much better out of him. After a deep sigh, Sarukui goes to speak again, Konoha half expecting a lecture or a reprimand for his answer and bracing himself for it. “I just know how much it bothers you when this happens.”

“And it doesn’t bother you being called a demon or the devil in every other remote village we pass through?”

“No and, even if it did, we’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you, Aki.” He wasn’t getting out of this one it seemed, Konoha sighing before shrugging, feeling increasingly more awkward by the second. There was no point in denying he’d avoided talking about this for too long, the missions having gone by with repeat performances of tonight, albeit with less electrocution, all with excuses on why he didn’t want to talk about it.

Not this time though. 

“I sometimes wonder if they have a point,” the mage avoids the others eye, knowing full well that the other’s stare had hardened, teeth biting into his lower lip, wondering if he should continue or not. “I wonder if I’m supposed to be happy with this, my magic isn’t useful, I can’t heal people and I can’t even remember the last time my magic was actually useful on a mission.”

His only response is a sigh, the rustle of clothes as the other moves forward and the press of the others forehead against his as Sarukui straightened up somewhat into a kneel, gloved hands weaving into his bare ones as the warriors warm breath fanned across his face. Konoha would have been embarrassed had it been any other time and any other situation. 

“I can think of many ways it has been, I’m sure Akaashi can too when he returns to the room.” Speak of the devil and he will arrive, Sarukui pauses as the door creaks open and then closed again, the creak of the floorboards oddly soothing to hear as the archer walked across and straight over to the small window the room had, taking seat on the chest beneath it and staring out the window, a gesture to show he wasn’t listening or paying attention to them. Something both appreciated. “We can request some time off after this mission is over, you can practise some healing if you like.”

“Why, are you planning on getting injured or something?” His voice is more humoured than upset now, though it still shows through the cracks, tapping his fingers on the back of Sarukui’s hands and wondering why, of all the people and demons he had met, the other was able to calm him down without doing much at all. Maybe the villagers had been right, maybe he did lay with a demon after all, Konoha refraining from rolling his eyes as the older man grinned at him toothily. “What?”

“I might lose focus because of nearby firebird, you know how it is.” Raising a brow at Sarukui before rolling his eyes, Konoha pressed a quick kiss to his lips as not only a thank you but also in a bid to stop the other from saying anything else that would only see to embarrass the blonde further. Glaring as he pulls away, Sarukui seems to take it as a challenge, about to say something else before a clearing of a throat behind them makes the pair turn towards their teammate, Akaashi now facing them as opposed to looking out of the window. 

“I think it best we leave in the morning, men like that seldom listen to wise words and the keeper doesn’t need the trouble we’ll cause by staying.”

That catches their attention, or at least it does Konoha’s, the blonde frowning slightly as he waited for Akaashi to go on only for the young archer to stay quiet, not an unusual gesture from him but still one that wasn’t entirely needed. “So you know which way this demon king is then?”

“No,” were it not for the casual shrug that came with the word, Konoha might have been less annoyed, frown morphing into a glare laced with annoyance, ready to let his annoyance known to Akaashi only for the young man to continue. “But, apparently, villagers have been seen fleeing the kingdom of Shiratorizawa and Ushijima hasn’t been heard from in a while.”


End file.
